Safety means for furnace-cooling structures.



L. S. SCHMIDT.

SAFETY MEANS FOR FURNACE COOLING STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9. I915.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

FIELEI- INVENTOR WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT ora ion.

LAWRENCE S. SCHMIDT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SCHMIDT- MOCORMICK COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY MEANS FOR FURNACE-COOLING STRUCTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent. latented Aug, 20, 1918,

Application filed November 9, 1915. Serial N 0. 60,533.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE S. SCHMIDT, a oitizen ofthe United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Means for Furnace-Cooling Structures, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to improvements in furnace cooling structures and particularly to means for insuring the supply of cooling fluid to such structures upon failure of the normal supply.

While the invention is applicable for various uses, it is particularly adapted for use in connection with devices employed for the protection of the gas ports of regenerative furnaces, a point where it is especially desirable that failure of fluid supply shall not be had and that the normal circulation of the Water through the devices shall be maintained.

Devices for such cooling purposes, of course, have their greatest efficiency when the normal fluid circulation is continuous. When such continuity is materially varied or broken, as by the failure of the supply of fluid or material decrease in the fluid pressure, the temperature conditions of the structure protected by the devices change materially, resulting in damage to a more or less extent tothestructure.

The present invention has for its principal object the reduction or elimination of bad eifects due to changes in circulation conditions, this being accomplished by automatically bringing into action an auxiliary supply of fluid which tends to maintain the circulation and thereby reduces the variation in temperature conditions of the structure being protected.

To these and other ends,.my invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a regenerative furnace, the section being taken on a line intersecting a gas port.

Fig. 2 is a detail .view of connections employed in the safety mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a furnace showing a special form of coolmg structure.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, 10 designates the gas port of a regenerative furnace, 11 the air port, and 12 the refractory mass structure in proximity to these ports.

13 designates a port cooling structure, shown in this instance as D-shape in contour and positioned to encircle the gas port, the cooling structure being provided with a fluid inlet 14 connected to a source of supply (not shown), a valve 14 controlling the inflow of the fluid,the connections to the structure being shown as leading through an arch 12 in the mass structure. The outlet for thecooling structure is'indicated at 15, located substantially at the top of the structure, the pipe connection therefrom, indicated at 15, leading outwardly and then upwardly to discharge into the top of a tank 16, hereinafter referred to as the auxiliary fluid supply. 17 indicates a valve-controlled auxiliary pipe connection leading from the cooling structure.

The cooling structure disclosed is such as to provide a continuous circulation channel therein for the cooling fluid entering at in let'14 and dischaging at outlet 15, the struc' ture being comparatively narrow and therefore having a comparatively small cross sectional area. This provides for a somewhat rapid circulation of the fluid therein, which fluid is discharged into tank 16 when valve 14 is open, pipe connection l7 being normally closed. As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of these structures is employed, each having its individual supply and discharge in the manner indicated.

It is to be understood, however, that while I prefer to employ this particular type of cooling structure, I do not limit the invention to such type, the safety mechanism to be described being well adapted for use in connection with various other types of such structures, where the cooling action is pro-.

vided by the circulation of'a cooling fluid.

In such structures,-normal supply of the fluid and proper operating of the cooling structure provides the desired protection which the structure is designed to aflord.

loo

However, in cases where the fluid pressure becomes materially reduced or fails entirely, the temperature conditions of the structure being protected become materially changed through the change in the normal circulation through the cooling structure.

To remedy this condition I provide means for connecting the inlet for the cooling structure with the tank 16, and control this connection in such manner that under normal supply operation, the mechanism remains inactive, but when material reduction in fluid pressure or an entire failure of fluid supply takes place, this connection becomes automatically active to provide supply and thus tend to maintain the normal circulation within the cooling structure.

This means is in the form of a pipe connection 17 having a check valve 18, the upper end of said pipe 17 being open to the tank 16 while the lower end of said connection 17 is connected to the supply inlet pipe between valve 14 and the cooling structure. I also provide a check valve 19 in the supply pipe between valve 14 and the point of connection of pipe 17 with the supply pipe. Checkvalve 18 opens automatically in a direction to permit flow of fluid from tank 16, while check valve 19 automatically opens in the direction to permit entrance of fluid from the main supply.

By this arrangement it will be understood that under normal pressure conditions in the supply and with valve 14 open, check valve 19 will remain open, thus placing the supply in open communication with the cooling structure; it also places pipe connection 17 in open communication with the main supply, but since the pressure from the main supply predominates that from tank 16, especially since check valve 18 is located adjacent to tank 16, check valve 18 will remain closed, thus preventing a discharge of fluid from pipe 17 into tank 16, or from the tank to pipe connection 17, the amount of fluid in tank 16 being controlled in suitable manner as by an overflow pipe 16*. Should, however, the pressure from the supply become materially reduced or an entire failure ensue, this predominance of pressure of the main supply Will'be eliminated, the result being that check valve 18 will open and check valve 19 close, thus shutting off the main supply and opening up the auxiliary supply fromtank '16, the fluid from which then passes into the inlet 14 and into the circulation system. Since the fluid within the cooling structure becomes heated and expands therein, the circulation willbe substantially maintained, the fluid passing out through the normal discharge, this expansion action of the fluid being suflicient. to

overcome the small difference in height between the discharge outlet and the level of the fluid in tank 16. This action will I continue until the pressure of the main supply again becomes sufficient to open check valve 19 against the pressure from tank 16, whereupon, the normal operation will again take place, check valve 18 again closing through the predominance of main supplv pressure.

In the form of Fig. 3, the cooling structure comprises a plurality" of individual units 13 each having an independent fluid circulating system, and adapted to discharge into a common receptacle, auxiliary pipe connections (not shown) being provided as in the form of Fig. 1.

As will be readily understood, the arrangement is such as to produce .a pressure column inactive in the circulation system when the normal supply pressure is of greater value than that of the column, in, which case, the valve 18 is closed and-valve 19 is retained open by the greater pressure of the main or normal supply. When, however, the pressure of the main supply becomes of less value than that provided by the height of column, the latter becomes active, closing the valve 19 and permitting valve 18 to open under the slight head of fluid within the receptacle. In this manner, the pressure of the column does not materially fall below the pressure provided by the height of the column, so that assurance is had of a definite minimum pressure in the system regardless of the reduction in the main supply ahead of valve 19. 100 As valve 18 is located close to receptacle 16, the slight head of fluid will not be effective until the pressure value of the column exceeds that of the main supply.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a furnace cooling structure having a normal cooling fluid circulation and supply, of means rendered active by the failure of the normal supply for maintaining through the cooling structure. 1

2. The combination with a furnace cooling structure havinga normal cooling fluid circulation and supply, of means rendered active by the failure of the normal supply 115 for maintaining the circulation of fluid through the, cooling structure, said means being rendered inactive by restoration of normal supply conditions. 3. Ihe combination with a furnace cool 120 mg structure having a'normal fluid circulation and supply, of auxiliary supply means including an automatically operable valve, the activity of the auxiliary means being controlled by the fluid pressure of, the nor- 125 mal supply.

4. The combination with a furnace coolmg structure, of means for providing a circulation of cooling fluid through said structure, said means including normal and aux- 1130 the circulation of fluid iliary fluid supplies, and meanswhereby the charge, and connections tacle and the normal supply for delivering activity of the auxiliary supply is controlled the discharge-fluid to the entrance of the circulation system, means to control said delivery by pressure variations of the normal supply, said receptacle acting as an auxiliary fluid supply.

6. The combination with a furnace cool-' ing structure, of means for providing a circulation of cooling fluid through sai structure, said means including a normal supply, a receptacle for'receiving the circulation discharge, and connections between said receptacle and the normal'supply for delivering the discharge-fluid to the entrance'of the circultion system, whereby said receptacle may act as an auxiliary fluid supply, said connections having an. automatically operable valve for of the receptacle as such supply.

7. The combination with a furnace coolin structure, of means for providin a circu ation of cooling fluid through said structure, said means including a normal supply, a receptacle for receiving the circulation discharge, and connections between said receptacle and the normal supply for delivering the discharge-fluid to the entrance of the circulation system, whereby said receptacle may act as an auxiliary fluid supply, said connections having a valve for controlling the activity of the receptacle as such supply, said valve being controlled by the pressure variations of the normal supply.

8. The combination with a furnace cooling structure, of means for providing a circulation of cooling fluid through said structure, said means including a normal supply, a receptacle for receiving the circulation discharge, and connections between said receptacle and the normal supply for delivering the discharge-fluid to the entrance of the circulation system, whereby said receptacle may act as an auxiliary fluid supply, said connections having an automatically operable valve for controlling the activity of the receptacle as such supply, and an automatically operable valve in the normal supply and subject-to the pressure variatlons thereof, said valves cooperating to control the activity of the auxiliary supply.

9(The combination with a furnace cooling structure, of means for providing a circulation of cooling fluid through said structure, said means including a normal supply a valve in said supply, a receptacle for receiving the circulation discharge, and a fluld controlling the activity ceptacle and adapted to ing movements of the other valve.

conduit connected to the fluid' supply'be-- .tween' said valve and the cooling structure and leading to said receptacle, said conduit having of fluid from said receptacle, said valves being controlled by the pressure variations in the normal supply.

a valve for controlling the passage J 10. The combination with a furnace cooling structure, of means 'for providin a circulation of cooling fluid through sai structure, said means including a normalsupply, a valve in said supply, a receptacle for reconduit connected to. the fluid supply between said valve and t e cooling structure -and leading to said receptacle, said conduit ceiving the circulation discharge, and'a fluid valve automatically opening when the normal supply pressure becomes of the fluid column.

. 11. The combination with a furnace cooling structure, of means for providin a circulation of cooling fluid through sai structur'e','said means including a normal supply, a valve in said supply, a receptacle for receiving the circulation discharge, and a fluid conduit connected to the fluid supply between said valve and the cooling structure and leadingto said receptacle, said conduit having a valve for controlling the passage of fluid from said receptacle, said latter valve being positioned adjacent said rebe maintained in closed position when the normal supply pressure exceeds the pressure of the column of fluid between said valves, said conduit valve automatically'opening when the normal supply pressure becomes-less than that of the fluid column, the closing movements of one valve being concurrent with the openless than that 12. The combination with a furnace coolingstructure, of means for providing a circulation of cooling fluid through said structure, said means including a normal supply, a check valve in said supply opening in the direction of fluid flow from the main supply, a receptacle located on a plane above the plane of the cooling structure for receiving the circulation discharge, and a vertically extending fluid conduit connected to the main fluid supply between said valve and the cooling structure and leading to said receptacle, said conduit havin a check valve opening in the direction of uid flow from said receptacle, said check valves to provide a pressure column of definite value, said column maintaining the conduit valve closed when the normal supply prescooperating sure exceetls re value of the column gree sure 13. The combination a'ifnrnace port, of a cooling s" cture 'tliereifor comprising a plu ity or individual its each having an moi sentient fluid circulat on system mclu" ing a fluid. sup gily a "receptacle to receive the circulation discharge of tile several systems, anti automatically operal'ile valved means connecting said receptacle to each system for rendering tlie fluicl-ol said receptacle active in the circulation system oi either 11111i3 11p011 material reduction in fluid pressure of the normal supply for such unitu it. The combination with a furnace port 01" a cooling structure therefor comprising asystem in presence of two Witn unit pressure of the such unit, said means column of definite v adapted to rleterinin of the receptacl 15., The coinli'na ing structure having a i. circulation and en; L eel to receive the circulation elisci automatically operable valve-ti necting said receptacle to tire circu tern -tor rendering the fiuirl of ceptacle active in such system terial reduction in fluid. pressure mal'supply for said system sai eluding a pressure column. of olefinne adapted to determine the period of activ... of the receptacle fluiel;

in testimony whereof, '1.

Eli-

LAW Witnesses Go Door 

